“He was a Cantonese chef from Macau,” says second generation entrepreneur Annie Go-Wong, president of Lido Cocina Tsina, the storied restaurant's present incarnation.
With Binondo—and the times—changing drastically since his prime, Mr. Lido decided to migrate to Canada in the 1970s. After selling his business to a group of investors, the restaurant’s ownership changed hands several times through the years—including a time when a Chinoy barangay captain surnamed Lee gained ownership when a debtor failed to settle a loan.
By 1997, Annie’s mom, Aileen Go —proprietor of an import enterprise with an office just two floors above Lido — had acquired a 50-percent stake in the restaurant. And despite having zero restaurant management experience, she placed her daughter, Annie, in charge. An IT graduate with a passion for cooking, Annie is also the only girl in a brood of four.
A broader menu
For Annie, who is now the sole owner, the first order of business was to update the limited menu that they had inherited, which she recalls as just “a small, back-to-back bond paper menu.”
From rice meals, pancit, fish, chicken, and breakfast fare — Lido was a popular morning spot, opening as early as 5:30 a.m. and drawing in Binondo’s business owners —Annie expanded the menu to include dim sum, congee, mami and lechon Macao. She also improved Lido’s signature Pugon Roasted Asado.
“Biruin mo, Chinese restaurant tapos walang dim sum, congee at mami?” [Can you imagine, a Chinese restaurant without dim sum, congee and mami?”)
Branching out, rebranding
Annie’s next bold move was to bring Lido—previously known only among Chinatown denizens—outside the confines of Binondo, opening its first branch in 2003 on Madison St. in Greenhills.
Dubbed Panciteria Lido, this also signaled Lido’s expansion through franchising, although the franchisees are family friends to ensure the quality of both food and service. Today, the chain boasts 15 branches, including one in Antipolo.
Streamlining operations while overseeing research and development, Annie continued to develop Lido’s menu through kitchen experimentation, all MSG free. By this point, new offerings include crispy noodles, cha mee, and French beans in XO sauce.
From Panciteria Lido, they also rebranded to Lido Cocina Tsina, home of the Chinese Pugon-Roasted Asado, after an FDG or focused group discussion revealed that participants assumed they only served pancit.
Serving a new generation
Realizing how Lido’s brand recall was associated largely with a much older generation of patrons, Annie set out to broaden their market by targeting a younger demographic. This led to the opening two and half years ago of Yanzi by Lido Cocina Tsina.
With branches in Banawe in Quezon City, and Marikina, Yanzi became known for its popular pot rice dishes served in small pressure cookers — another innovation from Annie. However, to avoid diluting the Lido brand by marketing two separate entities, Annie will convert all Yanzi branches into Lido outlets—while keeping Yanzi’s well-loved dishes.
Meanwhile, Lido itself is undergoing a major refresh: a new logo and updated interiors are steadily being rolled out — the latter with the help of their architect-consultant who has been with them for 20 years. First to enjoy this new look and feel is their Bacoor, Cavite branch, which will be inaugurated in June 2025.
Evolving, but staying grounded
“We need to keep up with the times,” admits Annie, who shuttles between Canada and the Philippines and has her younger brother Mark and a dedicated team—plus a working system— behind her.
Still, even as Lido evolves, the 89 year-old chain refuses to lose sight of its roots and heritage —staying true to the attributes that have sustained it through the decades: reasonable prices, generous servings, and consistent product quality.
“Mahalaga ang alaga—care is important—across all customer touch points,” says Annie. “You need to understand the entire customer experience.”
Features Reporter
